Liquid-fuel burner



" m.. YIIWU El@ LIQUID FUEL BURNER Filed Aug. l?, 926 2 Sheets-Sheet l m1., wm. Mmmm MWUEW@EW LIQUID FUEL BURNER Film1 Augl'7 19E@ B Shams-me?, 2

llt" y CHARLES E. BUERGER, OF PITTSBURGH,

SYL'WANL.

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOE, TO GULF OIL v BURNER COMPANY, E PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION 01E' PENN- LlflllUIID-EUEL BURNER.

application filed August 17, 1926. Serial No. n129,826?.

rllhis invention relates to liquid fuel burners; and it comprises a burner having a lower compartment defined by a base and an overlying member; means for directing an upu; draft of air through said base laterally to the periphery of the burner and discharging it with a swirling motion; a fuel oil distributor extending above the upper surface of said member; means for directing a portion of the lo current of air flowing through the base upwardly through said member and laterally beneath the distributor; a plate of generally conical shape overlying and resting upon said member, the body portion of the plate being spaced from the member; a cap overlying and resting upon said distributor to permit the how of fuel therefrom but shield it from the heat of the flame when the burner is in use; means projecting downwardly from the base for adjustably positioning` the burner in a furnace; a. fuel overflow pipe communieating with the base of the burner, adapted to carry oif excess fuel as it is delivered from a source of supply, and a removable guard l5 positioned to enclose said overflow opening in the base of the burner; all as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

The present burner is adapted particularly for household use in existing coal burning furnaces employing grates, and it comprises a base with meansl for accurately installing it in a level position upon the grate bars of a furnace. rlFhe base is open at both top and bottom and a cover member of generally conical shape is mounted upon the base but is spaced from it by a plurality of curved vanes which are preferably formed integrally with the cover member and extend downwardly into contact with the flared upper end of the base. A plate overlies the cover member with its body portion s aced therefrom to pro vide an air space or preventing overheating of the cover by the flame of the burner. kBoth the plate and cover have central openings which are aligned when the burner is assembled and through which an oil feed pipe extends. The upper end of the feed pipe terminates in a Idistributor for liquid fuel which is radially grooved on its upper face and vertically grooved around its periphery cation, Serial No. 122,187 file -to evenly distribute the liquid fuel over the conical surface of the overlying plate. A cap rests upon the distributor to protect it from the direct heat of the flame which might c ause preignition of the fuel or its carbonization prior to its delivery to the intended point of combustion. The cap is formed with an internal annular shoulder resting upon the peripheral edge of the distributor so that a space is formed above the upper face of the distributor and an annular space is provided around its sides. lt is essential that the burner be mounted in a level position so that the oil or other fuel may be evenly distributed over the face ofthe overlying plate and produce a synuuetrical flame, combustion taking place entirely around the burner. For this purpose adjustable legs are provided depending from the burner base and adapted to rest upon or between the grate bars of a fur* nace, or upon any surface on which the burner is mounted. The base of the burner is formed wit-h an annular trough in which the liquid fuel is received in the event that the flame is accidentally extinguished but the flow of fuel continued. An overflow pipe communicates with this trough and is in-l tended to convey the fuel accumulated in the trough to an automatic flow control device such as is described in my co- July 13, 1926, whereby when a predetermined amount of overflow liquid has accumulated further delivery of fuel to the burner is stopped. ln the present invention a removable guard is provided for the overflow pipe.

lt is an object of my invention to provide a liquid fuel burner of simple and inexpensive construction, which is easily assembled and in which the parts are protected toinsure efficient operation.

Another object is to provide a burner which produces a substantially solid conical Haine, the outerl surface of which is of spiral form.

A. further object is to provide a burner which may be adjustably supported within a furnace in level position irrespective of the nature of the surface upon which it is mounted.

@ther and further objects will be apparent ending applifrom the following description and drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the burner comprising the present invention, partly in section.

Figure 2l is a fragmentary detail view of a portion of the base of the burner showing the construction of the adjustable legs for supporting the burner in level position.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the burner taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a det-ail sectional view of the liquid overflow guard taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings l'zlhe burner base comprises an upwardly extending collar portion 1 flared outwardly at its bottom and terminating in an upwardly extending annular wall 2, while its upper portion terminates in an outturned Harige 3.

A cover 4 is preferably formed with downwardly projecting curved vanes 5 which rest upon the flange 3 of the base and extend to some extent within the collar portion thereof, thus spacing the cover above the base and des fining a series of curved passages between the .base and cover. A burner plate 6 rests upon the cover 4, such'plate being annularly recessed as at 7 to provide an air space which serves to prevent overheating of the cover and distributor. The distributor 8 comprises a circular member axially bored to receive the end of fuel feed pipe 9 and having its upper face grooved radially for the delivery of oil evenly therearound, the vertical side face of the distributor likewise being grooved for conducting the oil to the surface of the burner plate 6. The grooves in the upper and side faces of the distributor offer a resistance to the flow of oil and since all of the grooves are identical in formation the flow of fuel is j epualized. Legs l() depend from the under e of the distributor and engage the edge of the opening 11 which is formed in the cover and burner plate to position the distributor so that it lies centrally of the opening and slightlyV above the plate 6.

A cap 12 overlies the distributor head, such cap being formed withv an annular internal shoulder 13, annularly grooved as at 14 to rest upon the periphery of the distributor head. A space 15 is thus defined above the upper face of the distributor as well as an annular space about its side. One or more openings 16 are preferably provided in the cap 12 for venting the space 15.

Depending from the base of the burner are a plurality of screw-threaded legs 17 each provided at its lower end with an adjustable foot 18. Each foot 18 comprises an internally screw-threaded metal member, tapered at its lower end and formed with radially projecting lugs 19 and 20 extending'from its side. These lugs serve as a means for turning the foot 18 for adjusting it on the screw-threaded leg 17 or if, when in use, the foot will normally extend between adjacent grate bars such lugs will engage the grate bars to support thc burner properly.

Adjacent the overflow opening in the base of the burner integral upstanding walls 21, 22 and 23 are formed. A metal guard 24, retained by screw 25, overlies the walls 22 and 23 and is supported alongits longitudiiniledgc upon wall 2l. The guard is provided with slits 26 adjacent the bottom of its downturned ends and lying below or on a plane with the upper surfaces of walls 22 and 23 whereby, when the burner is in operation and overflow fuel accumulates in 'the trough of the base a liquid seal will be provided to prevent the spread of fire in the event that that oil which is contained in the trough becomes ignited.

In the operation of the burner, air passing upwardly through the base of the burner is divided into two streams one of which passes laterally between the hase and cover to the periphery of the burner where it is given a swirling motion by reason of the curved vanes, the other stream passing upwardly through the cover member and burner plate where it is discharged laterally from under the distributor head. @il lflowing from the end of the feed pipe 9 onto the face of the distributor is uniformly distributed by the grooves therein and discharged onto the burner plate 6 partly by gravity and partly by the current of air passing laterally from under the distributor head. Some of the fuel flows down over the conical burner plate and is ignited at the point where it mixes with the swirling current of air which is passing up- -wardly through the base of the burner and laterally from under the cover 4. The burner plate becomes heated and ignition also takes place at the point where the minor current of air from under the distributor mixes with the fuel as it is delivered. Thus, combustion occurs over practically the entire surface of the burner plate 6, producing a` substantially solid conical flame whose outer surface has a swirling motion. The rush of air from under the distributor head causes a suction in the chamberl which assists the flow of oil from the distributor and atthe same time prevents the preignition of fuel as it flows out of the feed pipe onto the distributor head since there is no combustible mixture of air with the liquid fuel in this chamber.

To prevent carbonization of the liquid fuel owing from the feed pipe the cover member 4 must be kept relatively cool so that the air passing under the distributor will not be unduly heated. If the interior of the burner is highly heated inefficient operation will result with carbonization and possible preignition of the liquid fuel as above pointed out. To keep the cover 4 relatively cool the burner plate is so formed that the major portion of neaaaua its surface is spaced above the cover. This annular space prevents the direct transmission of heat from the plate 6 upon which the liquid is burning to the cover d with a consequent high heating of the cover. With the cover kept at a lower temperature than the burner plate 6 the air passing through the burner to be mixed with the fuel in su porting combustioniwill not be highly cated prior to its emergence into the combustion zone, nor will the liquid fuel be heated to a point which would render the operation of the burner inecient.

lfrom the foregoing it will be apparent that l have provided a simple, easily assembled and eilicient liquid fuel burner which can be readily installed in the usual furnace structures and which, in operation, produces a lubstantially solid, conical flame of great eat..

What l claim as my invention is l. A liquid fuel burner having a base formed to provide a trough for the collection of excess fuel, an overflow pipe in communication with said trough, upstanding walls formed on said base and surrounding the end of said overflow pipe, a removable guard overlying said overflow pipe, said guard being provided with'openings through which accumulated fuel may flow to said overflow pipe, the upstanding walls and removable guard forming a liquid seal for the overflow ipe., p 2. A liquid fuel burner comprising a base provided with an interior passage for air, a cover overlying said base and spaced therefrom so that air from said passa e is directed laterally between the top of the ase and the cover, a burnerplate supported on said cover in spaced relation therewith, the said cover and the said burner late provided with passages registering wit the air passage of said base, a distributer for a liquid fuel supported above said burner plate in spaced relation whereby a part of the air from the passage of the base and from the passages of the cover and burner plate may flow over the burner plate under said distributer and means for supplying liquid fuel to said distributer.

3. A liquid fuel burner comprising a base defining an interior air passage, a cover for said base supported thereon in spaced relation whereby air from the base is directed laterally between the cover .and the base, means between the cover and the base for imparting to the air a swirling motion, a pas sage through the said cover registering with the passage defined by said base, a distributer supported over the cover in spaced relation therewith whereby draft of air from the base and the cover may How over the cover, a shield for said distributer, and means for supplying fluid fuel to said distributer.

d. A liquid fuel burner comprising a base defining an interior passage for air, a cover for said base having a passage for air regis-v tering with the passage of the base, a series of radially directed curved vanes interposed between the base and the cover and spacing them, a burner plate overlying the cover and provided with a passage registering with the passages of the base and the cover,l means spaced from the burner plate for feeding liquid fuel to the upper surface thereof at a point where the air flows through the passage of said plate and means for supplying liquid fuel to the said fuel feeding means.,

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto afxed my signature.

GHARLES B. BUERGER,

titl 

